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Opening the case, he said: "She was found to be carrying 20,000 euros, in large denomination notes, which she was intending to smuggle into Turkey and pass to another person before returning to London two days later.

"This was not her money, nor indeed was it the currency in Turkey. She had been recruited to carry out this task on the promise of a payment of 1,000 Euros as a reward and the payment of her expenses."

Msaad's role was as a "trusted courier" who would carry large sums of money, concealing it on the journey and ensuring that it was handed to the correct person, he added.

"All this has to be done in the circumstances of secrecy and mutual trust. Her recruiter was the first defendant – Amal El-Wahabi – a close and long-standing friend.

Nawal Msaad and Amal El-Wahabi (PA)

"The smuggling attempt, however, had been instigated by the first defendant's husband – Aine Davis, 30 – who, it is alleged had left London a few months earlier in order to pursue the jihadist cause in which he now believed.

"Davis had maintained regular contact with the first defendant using call and messaging services on mobile phones and the Internet.

"He had provided her with both Turkish and Syrian mobile phone numbers.

"It is plain from images that he had sent to her that Davis had fulfilled his desire and was now with jihadist fighters and was supporting the familiar black flag adopted by the extremist jihadist terrorist groups in various countries in that troubled part of the world."

Jurors heard that in their exchanges, Davis warned his wife not to be "bait" and encouraged her to use phoneboxes or a pay as you go mobile phone, in an attempt to avoid detection.

Mr Dennis said: "It is unclear where Davis is at this present time.

"However, the overwhelming evidence is that at the time of this attempted smuggling of money, he was taking part in the violent conflict which has engulfed large parts of Syria for the past three years."

The court heard that Davis, who has adopted the Muslim name "Hamza," and Msaad refer to each other as husband and wife and have two children together.

However, it is believed that in 2013 Davis left for Amsterdam and has not since returned to the UK.

It is believed that around this time he had started placing his commitment to work "in the name of Allah" above his family.

Mr Dennis told jurors that Msaad, a London Met human resources undergraduate, had been close friends with El-Wahabi and had known her for several years.

On January 16, Msaad, from Barnsbury, North London, set off to Heathrow but was met at the departure gates by officers and asked why she was travelling to Turkey.

She said she was going on a "short break" and was going to buy some gold for her mother.

Mr Dennis said: "When asked how much cash she had on her, she said '20,000', explaining that it was in euros and was 'around me'.

"She was taken to a private room where she pulled out a roll of banknotes, tightly rolled from her underwear and handed it across to officers.

"The banknotes were tightly rolled and were wrapped in cling film.

"It appears that it would have been further hidden inside her body, tightly rolled in a condom. The roll had come out of the condom now and the condom was actually still inside her.

El-Wahabi, 27, was arrested later the same day at an address in north west London.

Both women, who are British, deny one count each of "entering into or becoming concerned in an arrangement as a result of which money was made available or was to be made available to another, and they knew or had reasonable cause to suspect that it would or may be used for the purposes of terrorism between January 13 and 16, this year."